PLUMBING TOOLS AND MATERIALS

TOOLS AND PICTURE FUNCTION

MATERIALS

- used for loosening and tightening

PIPE WRENCH pipes

- holds or turn pipes or circular

bars

ADJUSTABLE
WRENCH - used to tighten or loosen
hexagonal fittings

- used for tightening and

BASIN WRENCH loosening nuts on faucets and
other plumbing features in tight
space

- wrench and blade setting used to

TUBE OR PIPE cut metal tubes and pipes
CUTTER
- the head is adjustable according to
the width of the tube or pipe

- used for cutting hard to reach

SOLID PIPE pipes
CUTTER
- Example: used for cutting tubes
attached to a wall

- used in making teeth on pipes

PIPE THREADER
- cuts pipe or thread pipes for
fittings
 PIPE VISE - used in holding pipes for cutting
and threading

- used to cut temporarily hold

objects
VISE GRIP
- use only by hands

- mechanical apparatus used to

secure an object that is to be
BENCH VISE worked on

- places on top of the table

- secured the pipe by a high-

tensile steel chain which loops
over the workpiece and fastened
CHAIN PIPE VISE tightly

- more secure to use than vise

grip and bench vise

- can grip irregular or bigger

objects

- used to deburr steel pipe

PIPE REAMER
- cleans the entrance of the pipe
to prevent leakage

- determines the slope of pipes

and leveling over short distance

TORPEDO LEVEL - hexagonal, vertical, and

diagonal of the pipe in order for
the water to flow freely
 - used to find a vertical reference
PLUMB BOB line

- it gives precise measurements to

align points vertically

HACKSAW - used for cutting metal pipes and

fittings

TEFLON TAPE - used for creating a watertight

seal on threaded pipe
connections

PLUNGER - used for clearing clogs in drains

and toilets

AUGER OR
PLUMBERS SNAKE - also known as plumber snake

- used for clearing stubborn clogs

in drains
 TYPES OF PIPES
NAME PICTURE DESCRIPTION

- allows air to enter the drain

system
VENT PIPE
- prevents negative pressure from
building up and causing traps to
siphon dry

PVC PIPE - most common pipe used for

plumbing system
Poly Vinyl Chloride
- flexible pipe

- commonly used for drain, waste,

and vent systems

- most common PVC type for

pipes and fittings
PVC-U
- not flexible but stronger and
Unplasticized more durable than PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride

- widely used in both residential

and commercial applications

- typically used for high-pressure

for drinking water supply
PVC-O
- high strength and impact
Oriented Polyvinyl resistance
Chloride
- stronger and more durable
than traditional PVC pipes
 C-PVC - hot and cold water supply

Chlorinated Polyvinyl - commonly used by hotels

Chloride
- high temperature resistance up
to 93℃ (200 ℉)

PVC-HI - designed to withstand high

impact and resist damage
High Impact
- material of choice for natural
gas network

PE PIPE - intended for long span water

system installation
Polyethylene
- flexible pipe

CI-PIPE - heavy metal made of casting on

molds to make fixtures such as
Cast Iron sink, tubs, and lavatories,
covered with a porcelain enamel
coating.

GI PIPE - widely used for conveying raw

water & distribution of treated
Galvanized Iron water in majority of rural water
supply schemes

- can resist rust longer than CI-

PIPE

o ¼ inch minimum required slope for a drainpipe in a plumbing system to ensure proper drainage
and prevent clogs
o ¾ inch most common size for a residential water supply pipe
 TYPES OF FITTINGS
FITTINGS – used for connecting or changing direction of pipes
FEMALE THREAD – the thread is found inside
MALE THREAD - the thread is found outside

NAME PICTURE DESCRIPTION

- connects 2 pipes permanently

COUPLING with the same diameter

- connects 2 pipe that can be easily

UNION connects & disconnects for
maintenance and repair

- connects 2 pipes with different

REDUCER diameter

- changes pipe direction by 90 or

ELBOW 45 degrees

- connects 3 sections of pipes at 90

TEE degrees

- used to connect separate lines to

the main supply line
 - connects 4 pipes at a 90 degrees
CROSS angle for; cross shape

CAP - used to close the end of a pipe or

fitting permanently

PLUG - used to closed the end of a pipe,

fitting or valve temporarily to
restricts the flow of water

- commonly used when

performing a maintenance

TYPES OF VALVES
TYPE PICTURE FUNCTION

- used to permit or prevent the

GATE VALVE flow of water

- designed like a screw operated

type

- used to regulating/control the

flow or pressure of water
GLOBE VALVE
- complete shutoff of flow

- shut off the water just 90

degrees

- allows liquid to flow through

one direction
CHECK VALVE
- often used in some types of
pumps – inlet and outlet back
check valves

- prevents backflow

INLET VALVE - used to control the pressure of

the flow of water
 - device located at the bottom of
the tank for flushing water
FLUSH VALVE closets

- avoids overflow of water in the

water tank

- used in filing water tanks,

FLOAT VALVE avoiding overflow and backflow
of water for water tanks

- controls water supply in

ANGLE VALVE lavatory, sink, bath tub and
water closet (toilet).

PLUMBING FIXTURES AND ACCESSORIES

FIXTURE – a piece of equipment or furniture that is connected to the plumbing system
FIXTURE PICTURE DESCRIPTION

WATER CLOSET - a flush toilet that disposes

of human waste by using
(toilet) the force of water

LAVATORY - sink or washbasin in a

bathroom

- lababo

BATH TUB - a container for holding

water in which a person or
animal may bathe

SHOWERHEAD - a fixture for directing the

spray of water in a
bathroom shower
 - is something kitchen
wastewater flows through
GREASE TRAP before entering the sewer
waste system
- used to trap grease and oil
from kitchen wastewater to
prevent it from clogging the
plumbing system

KITCHEN SINK - commonly utilize for dish-

washing, washing hands,
etc.

URINAL - a sanitary plumbing fixture

for urination of boys only

SIGNS OF LEAKS INSIDE THE HOUSE

Leakage of plumbing system – cause of leaks
o Wet Spots
o Stains
o Molds
o Sagging Ceiling
o Reduce Water Pressure
o Unusually high-water bill

LEAK TESTING INSIDE THE HOUSE

1) Turn off water faucets in your home and make sure the washing machine and dishware are not
running

2) Checking the water meter and make sure a note of the numbers you see. Come back in an hour and
check again. If the numbers have changed, there’s a leak somewhere

DETERMINING THE LEAKAGE PART INSIDE/OUTSIDE THE HOUSE

1) Close the gate valve/main valve

2) Checking the water meter

 If the water meter changes, the leakage is in the outside (service line).
 If the water meter doesn’t change, the leakage is inside the house.
 TYPES OF WASTES
SOLID WASTE LIQUID WASTE
- discharged by water closet (toilet) - discharged of various fixture except toilet
- black water - gray water
- soil pipe - waste pipe

TYPES OF SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM

- hole in ground w/ stones and

CESSPOOL bricks

- stores temporarily waste

and need to be disposed in
safe places for disposal

- concrete vault with wooden

PRIVY shelter for collecting raw
sewage

- commonly used in
mountains and rural areas

- the storage of wastes is just

straightly beneath
 - vault used to collect organic
SEPTIC TANK waste from house drain

- for house only

- the septic tank is not found

beneath the toilet

- wastewater treatment takes

place at home

- for public use

- wastewater is treated at
PUBLIC SEWER LINE treatment plant typically
operated by the city

- usually provided by
municipalities and are not
available everywhere homes

o SCUM - floating substance at the septic tank

 Sedimentation process – decomposition of the floating substance above at the septic tank
(scum)
o WASTEWATER – called as black water that pass-through soil pipe
o SLUDGE - semi-liquid substance accumulated at the bottom of the septic tank
 Anaerobic decomposition – decomposition of the sludge at the bottom of the tank (sludge)

o Septic tank is ideal in a family with 6 members – 1.3 cu.m.

o Septic tank is ideal in a family with 9 members – 1.95 cu.m.

o Minimum distance required between the septic tank and residence is 10 ft. (10’)
o Minimum distance required between the well and septic tank is 75 ft. (75’)
o 18 inches minimum required distance between a toilet and a nearby wall or fixture

o CLEANOUT be installed in the pipe system to facilitate troubleshooting in case of stoppage of flow
o FIXTURE - any devices connected to the plumbing system (lavatory, urinal, bath tub, water
closet/toilet)
o 2% slope - ideal inclination of a horizontal waste pipe as recommended by the National Plumbing
Code
(The purpose of this horizontal pipe slope is for the water to flow freely)

Example:
 200 cm x .02 (2%) = 4 slopes
 1 m (convert first to cm) 100 cm – 1 m
100 cm x .02 (2%) = 2 slopes